Spike-machine



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H ..GREER. SPIKE MAG HINE. No. 404,191. Patented May 28, 1889.

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.H. GREER.

SPIKE MACHINE. No. 404,191. Patented May 28, 1 889.

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H. GR'EER.

SPIKE MACHINE.

N0. 404,191. Patented May 28, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IrIOlVARD GREER, OF LAKE VIEIV, ILLINOIS.

SPIKE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,191, dated May 28, 18.89.

Application filed February 6, 1889. Serial No. 298,930. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD GREER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake View, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in SpikeWIachines, of which improvements the following is a specification.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a view in perspective of my improved machine. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a side elevation thereof, but showing the lower part in section and the operative dies in end view. Fig. 3 is the front elevation thereof, but with the lower partin section. Figs. 4 and 5, Sheet 3, are detached views, to an enlarged scale, in sectional perspective, of the chief operating parts. Fig. 6 is a perspective view, to an enlarged scale, of the upper dieboX; and Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the parent bar, preferably employed in connect-ion with this machine for the production of spikes.

My present invention relates to a machine particularly designed for the manufacture of railway-spikes by severing the same from a previously-rolled bar, the form of which in cross-section is substantially that of the spike in side or edge View. By this method of making spikes I am enabled to make use of steel as the material, or any of the steely irons, such as possess a granular structure, as distinguished from fibrous. Such material possesses the advantage of being stiffer than iron, and consequently it may be better bestowed in the ar icle produced so as to secure the desired strength and holding-power with less weight of material, or greater strength and holding-power with the same weight; and as this material, on account of its granular structure, may be cut into spikes by cuts running transversely of the bar, without regard to the direction of the grain or fiber, certain limitations which exist in the manufacture of iron spikes are in the manufacture of steel spikes entirely absent.

WVhile the invention herein may be employed on steel bars of various forms, I have, for convenience, illustrated its use in connection with a form of steel bar which I prefer and which is shown in Fig. 7. Such a bar, when out transversely at suitable distances,

will produce the spikes substantially as shown and described in an application for patent filed by myself January 12, 1889, Serial No. 296,181, and hence need not at present be further described.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a machine in perspective suitable for the working of the present invention, wherein the housings 90 are of any convenient form adapted for the purposes in View, but must be suitably proportioned with reference to giving the desired strength. The wheel 91 may represent a gearwheel suitable for the operation of the machinery. It is mounted on a shaft, 92, on the forward end of'which latter I arrange the eccentrics, or cams, or other mechanism by which vto impart to the operative devices of the machine the motion necessary for doing their work.

The machine, as shown, is organized for the cutting or severing of siX spikes at each stroke. To this end the bed 93, which may be east along with the housing 90, is recessed or boxed, as at 94 and 95, and over the cavity 95, I arrange a series of four dies, A A A A, at suitable distances apart, so as to form between each two such dies a cavity of the exact width of a spike to be made. The upper face of each of these dies also conforms to the irregular shape of one side or face of the spike to be made, as more particularly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. These dies may be secured in position in any convenient wayas, for example, by the use of a die-box, 30, and set-screws 31, or in other suitable ways; but one feature of the present invention relating to the die-box construction will present-1y be referred to in detail. Opposite to the cavity or space between each two of these dies I arrange another set of dies, B, B and B securing the same in a die-holder, 96, of any suitable construction, or of the special construction hereinafter described, and attach the same to a vertical moving sliding head, 97 in any of the ways well known in the art, and impart to the latter an up-anddown or reciprocating motion from the shaft 92. Each of the upper dies, B, B and B which, in fact, are punch-operating dies, or dies operating in the manner of apunch, and

which consequently. I term punch-dies, is

made of the width of one of the spikes to be produced, and has a working face conformed to the irregular shape of the other side of the spikes to be made, and by other side I mean the side opposite to that to which the dies A, &c., are conformed. This feature also is represented more fully in Figs. 4c and Substantially this conformation of the operative faces of the dies to the irregularities which exist on the upper and lower faces of the parent bar 99 is an essential feature of the present invention, and it is essential for this reason. The bar must be heated to a high temperature when the work of punching or severing is done. If while in this semi-plastic or soft condition it should be engaged on its upper and lower faces by a pair of plainfaced dies, the first result would be that the projecting ribs or enlargements on the upper and lower faces of the bar 99 would be simply pressed down or flattened before any severing action would take place as regards the body or main part of the bar. Consequently the spike would be spoiled instead of being formed, and a useful result would be impossible; but by making the faces of the dies conform to the faces of the bar, or approximately so, the punching, shearing, or severing action by which the bar is to be divided up into spikes will commence simultaneously, or practically so, along the transverse plane of cut or division, so as to clt'cet a complete severing without injury to or the material distortion of any part of the spike; but absolutely strict conformity to theirregularities of the l'fitl' is not absolutely essential, for the reason that the dies may during the stroke which severs the spikes also do a little work in the nature of stamping, and thereby bring the product to the shape desired, and an exact or nearly exact conformity to their own working-faces; but I belive it to be better to depend on the dies for little or no shaping action. In order to get the best results their work should be thatof severing alone. The dies being open-that is to say, the upper set being raised to their highest positionthe bar )9 is fed in, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or from the right-hand side of Fig. 2. As it is important that the end of the bar resting on A should, after a waste-piece or crop end is cut off, be fed forward so far and only so far as may be necessaryin order that the end which is left after the die B has done its work may constitute a eomplete spike, a stop must be arranged at this point; also, to prevent any tendency of the extreme end of the bar to tilt up or become distorted on the downstroke of the die B, a gripping mechanism of some kind must be arranged, so that when the upper dies make a downstroke such gripper shall rest on top of the extreme end of the bar and hold it in place. Such a stop and gripper are represented, the former at 40 and the latter at 4-1. As illustrated, they are made together or in one piece, (which, however, is not material, as

they may be made separately and operated separately but, as shown, I mount them both on a shaft, 42, which receives the desired oscillatory motion by crank 43, pit-man 44, and lever 45 from a suitable cam, 4.6, arranged on the main shaft 92,01 taking motion therefrom in any convenient way. The motion is such and the construction such that while the stop 40 is always in position the gripper 4:1. is raised at the moment the feeding is to be done, but comes down to a gripping position before the dies engage the bar, and retains that position until complete severance is offected and then moves away.

It is one peculiarity of the construction and operation of such dies that in consequence of the soft metal being jammed or compressed into their cavities, or for some other reason, the spikes which the puneh-dies B, B and 3" cut out of the bar on their downward stroke will stick or adhere to the faces of the dies after the stroke completed. In order to strip the spikes clear of such upper dies, I cut away the side walls of the lower dies or shoulder them, as at s s, Fig. 2, at such point or level that as the dies 1%, &c., begin their upstroke such shoulders s s will engage the spikes adhering to the upgoing dies, strip them clear of the dies, so that falling down the chute or recess 95 theywill be discharged onto an apron or carrier, 98, of any suitable construction, so as to be carried oil out of the way or discharged at any desired point; and it is also a fact that the spikes which severed from the parent bar on the downstroke of the upper dies remain resting on the upper faces of the lower dies will, for the reasons above stated, adhere or stick more or less tenaciously to the faces of such lower dies. In order to strip or loosen them therefrom, I make shoulders c c, Fig. 2, on the side walls of the upper dies at such points that as the upper dies make their upward stroke such shoulders will engage the spikes resting on the lower dies and strip them clear or destroy theirfirm adhesion; but in order that these spikes thus loosened shall not be carried up by the upper dies, I provide for discharging them at once from the machine by a knocking apparatus, which I will next describe. This knockingapparatus consists of a reciprocating plate, 50, suitably mounted on the bed 93, but slotted at its forward end so as to form fingers or knockers 5], as more particularly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. These knockers are so spaced and of such size that being projected endwise forward each one will pass between two of the upper dies, and one back of the rear die, and will engage endwise each one of the spikes just then freed from its adhesion to its lower die, and the motion of the knockers continuing the spikes will be pushed endwise from be tween the dies and discharged down the recess or chute 9i and onto the carrier 98. "-ly a quick. back motion the knockers return, so as to be out of the way of the next Feed and in IIO position for another discharge. This movement of the knockers may be imparted in any suitable wayas, for example, bybell-crank 52, pit-man 53, and suitable connections, as

illustrated therefrom, to the source of power.

In the manner thus described it will be seen that the bar may be fed in between each up and down stroke of the dies against the stop 40, its extreme point be gripped by the grip per 41, that a downstroke of the upper dies will punch out of the bar three complete spikes, which will be stripped and discharged immediately on the beginning of the upstroke, and that at the same time three other spikes completely formed will be left resting on the three left-hand lower dies of Fig. 2, that the gripper being thrown back these three spikes last referred to will be stripped from the lower dies, and by means of the knocking mechanism will be discharged complete from the machine, and that the work may go 011 continuously or without. cessation. Automatic feeding mechanisms may be added, if desired; but such being well known in the art I have not thought it necessary to show or describe them.

I do not limit myself, however, to the arrangement in gangs of dies, such as are described; nor do I limit myself to any particular number of such dies, except this, that there must be at least two dies on one side corresponding to the two lower left-hand dies of Fig. 2, and one die 011 the upper side corresponding to the upper left-hand die of Fig. 2. The machine being in other respects substantially as described-except that one knocker will be sufficient, the operation will be the same as set forth, and such construction I claim as within the scope of the presen invention.

As a convenient means of spacing the dies and clamping them, a movable intermediate wall is desirable, and at the same time such wall should not be free to fall out or to become displaced when the clamping-screws are loosened. Such a movable wall, (50, I have shown in Fig. 6. The bottom of one of the die-receiving cavities of the die-holder 96 is recessed as at 61, a similar recess being made at the other end, and the bottom of each such recess is carried laterally over into the plane which the movable wall is'to occupy when in use, such lateral recess being made just back of the rib 62 formed thereby. The movable wall 60 is made with a hook, 63, at the back of each end thereof, and these parts are so proportioned that the hook 63 may be passed down the recess 61 and back of the lug (52, so as to be held by what may be termed a bayonet-joint. In the width of the wall and the cavities room is preferably left for the use of liners, so as thereby to secure accuracy of adjustment; hence when the dies are inserted in the'die-cavities on either side of the wall 60 liners may be put in place as required, and the wall 60'will have sufficient lateral motion to provide for such necessary adjustment, and also for clamping by means of the clamping-screws 64. I The die which is inserted in the cavity 65 may be adjusted and held in place by liners and set-screws as usual; and if an additional punch-die is desired, the additional cavity being added, the movable wall 60 may be duplicated on that side. It will be observed that in the machine described the rear or left-hand punch-die, B, in addition to the function already assigned to it namely, cutting out one spike and cutting oif another while doing such work also performs the function of'a presser-foot or gripper in reference to the spike or spikes which are being at the same time out off on the lower die, A and cut out by the next die-punch, 13 This feature of construction and operation I believe to be new; and it will be understood that for the purposes of the present invention a presser-foot is a known substitute for and the mechanical equivalent of a gripper. It will also be seen that if the apparatus or machine is made strong enough and large enough two or more gangs of dies and diepunches with co-operating mechanisms substantially such as are herein represented may be employed with a single sliding head, 89, and a single bed, 93; but no claim is made herein to such particular feature of construction, and in so far as the same mayinvolve the invention it will be claimed in a separate application. The plate or parent bar 99 may be variously beaded with reference to the se curing of any desired form or style of spikehead; but to be within the purview of the present invention the beads or projections thereon must be such as when transversely severed at suitable planes of cut or division will constitute the proper or desired projections of a spike-head, or at least be in the direction of and be adapted to aid in the de velopment of the complete spike-head, and by the term spike as used herein I include a product so formed. It will also be understood that the dies may be reversed as regards their movementsthat is to say, the upper dies may be made stationary and the lower movable; and this or other like modifications of construction which retain substantially the operation described are included as within the scope of the present invention.

I claim herein as my invention- 1; In a spike-machine, the combination of a punch-operating die conformed in its working-face to the irregular shape of one side of the spike to be made, a pair of supportingdies, one 011 each side of the path of the punching-die, and each conformed in its workingface to the irregular shape of the opposite side of the spike to be made, and a stop and gripper arranged on the side toward which the feed movement takes place, the stop being arranged at a distance from the punchingdie equal to the width of one spike, substantially as set forth. 7

2. In a spike-machine, the combination of a series or gang of die-punches, two or more in number, each conformed in its workingface to the irregular shape of one side of the spike to be made, and a series or gang of three or more supporting-dies interspaced with the punch-dies, and each conformed in its workin g-face to the irregular shape of the opposite side of the spike to be made, whereby each punch-die operates both as a punch-die and as a gripper or presser foot as regards the spike cut out on the adjacent die of the opposite gang, substantially as set forth.

3. A pair of dies, substantially such as A A suitably spaced for the cutting out of a spike from a suitably ribbed or beaded bar, and having each a shoulder, s, in combination with a punch-die substantially such as B, for operating in the cavity so formed, and having a working face conformed to the irregular shape of one side of the spike to be made, substantially as set forth.

4. A pairof dies, substantially such as B B suitably spaced for the cutting out of a spike from a suitably ribbed or beaded bar, and having each a shoulder, a, in combination with a die substantially such as A for operatin g in the cavity so formed, and having a working-face conformed to the irregular shape of one side of the spike to be made, substantially as set forth.

5. A spike-making die, substantially such as A and a pair of spike-making dies, substantially such as B B and relatively arranged substantially as described, in combination with a knocker operative endwise against the spike formed on A so as to effect its discharge, substantially as set forth.

6. A series or gang of two or more punchdies, and a series or gang of three or more supporting-dies relatively arranged with reference to severing a bar by transverse cuts into spikes without waste, in combination with a series or gang of knockers, 51, operative simultaneously by an endwise motion against the spikes formed on the supporting-dies, so as to effect their discharge, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a series or gang of punch-dies, a series or gang of supportingdies, stripping-shoulders s and c, a stop, 40, and gripper 41, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a series or gang of punch-dies, a series or gang of supportingdies, stripping-shoulders .sand c, a stop, 40, gripper -11, and knocker 51, adapted to operate endwise against the otherwise undis' charged spikes, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a series or gang of punch-dies, a series or gang of supporting-dies, stripping-shoulders s and c, a gripper and knockers, and suitable mechanism, substantially as set forth, for operating all said devices in orderly succession from a single shaft with reference to the production of cutsteel spikes without waste from a rolled bar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

I'IOXVARD GREER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES F. LoEscH, FRANK J. LOESCH. 

